"No kobolds or goblins? Well, let's strike a match and light up: then
perhaps we may. That's one good thing about these hollows,--there is no
explosive gas, like there is in a coal mine. There, take this and hold
it out before you," he continued, as he closed and passed the lanthorn.
"Lift it up! Now what can you see?"

"Something glittering--yes, crystals!--beauties!--what a size!"

"Hah! Yes. These are worth all the trouble we have taken!" cried Dale,
as he dimly saw pendant from the roof, projecting from the rock at all
angles, and even lying upon the floor of the grotto, dozens upon dozens
of magnificent crystals, which seemed to be clear as glass, of a dull
brown, like smoky quartz, and some even of a hue that was almost a
purply-black.

At that moment Melchior's head appeared.

"Is there room for me to come in, herr?" he said; and before an answer
could be given, "Ah! those are large."

"Large, my good fellow! they are the finest I have ever seen. Come in.
Well, Saxe, how far does the grotto go in? Can you stand up? Mind your
head!"

"Just stand up here," he replied; "but it is higher farther in."

"Let me go on first, herr," said Melchior: "it may be dangerous. There
is no telling where these cracks in the rocks extend."

He took the lanthorn and crept forward cautiously, while Dale and Saxe
watched the play of the light on the wonderful prisms and hexagons which
hung in all directions. But there was no penetrating above thirty feet;
for the grotto, after rising six or seven feet in height, dropped down
again, and closed together till there was a mere slit.

"There may be more of it beyond here, sir," said the guide, "if we could
break through."

"There is more than enough here, Melchior," cried Dale. "I am satisfied
if we can get these away."

"Yes, herr," said the guide, holding up the lanthorn, and making its
light play in all directions, its rays flashing off the various facets
in a way that displayed in some the beauty of their forms, and in others
the limpid transparency of the stone,--"yes, herr: there are many mules'
burdens here. What will you do first?"

"Try to get off that one," cried Saxe, pointing. "It is the best here."

"They all seem best, Saxe," said Dale. "Yes, we will have that one, if
it can be broken off without injury."

"There is a fine one here, herr," said the guide. "It must have fallen
from the roof."

As he spoke he turned over a huge piece, after s